# Why is there a FedEx box at the U.S. Post Office? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 30, 2005, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-a-fedex-box-at-the-u-s-post-office/319241 "2005-08-30T13:29:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mongoroot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a9adbd/32.png) [@Mongoroot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mongoroot)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2005, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-a-fedex-box-at-the-u-s-post-office/319241/1 "2005-08-30T13:29:00Z")
They’re competitors, right? The USPS offers overnight and expedited delivery, similar to what FedEx offers. From the way USPS advertises its faster service options, you’d think they wouldn’t want to help FedEx take away some of their business. But I’ve seen more than one post office, including the one right around the corner here, with a FedEx drop box right by the front door. So why is that? Is there some sort of law that forces them to let FedEx put a box there, or am I wrong that they are competitors? (I understand that FedEx and USPS aren’t exactly equal in the services they offer, one may be better than the other, and there are reasons to use one in certain circumstances. But still, they’re both trying to get my business when I want to send a box to Uncle Earl in Omaha by Thursday.) ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2005, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-a-fedex-box-at-the-u-s-post-office/319241/2 "2005-08-30T13:39:52Z")
FedEx is a subcontractor for USPS. They ship priority mail and such. One of the terms of the contract is the FedEx dropbox that you see at the Post Office. [http://wired-vig.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,38641,00.html](http://wired-vig.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,38641,00.html) [http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/stories/2001/01/08/daily9.html](http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/stories/2001/01/08/daily9.html) ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2005, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-a-fedex-box-at-the-u-s-post-office/319241/3 "2005-08-30T13:39:56Z")
[USPS, FedEx Reach Pact](http://www.apwu73.com/bulletin/usps_fedex_reach_pact_that_compe.htm): > [@](#): > > Amidst complaints by competitors, the U.S. Postal Service and FedEx Express formed a seven-year alliance to share certain services. The deal is worth $7 billion. > > Under the agreement, the USPS will buy space on FedEx airplanes to transport Express Mail, Priority Mail and First Class Mail. FedEx will place overnight service collection boxes at post offices nationwide. ---
**Author:** ![Mongoroot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a9adbd/32.png) [@Mongoroot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mongoroot)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2005, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-a-fedex-box-at-the-u-s-post-office/319241/4 "2005-08-30T14:17:29Z")
Ahhhh… It’s heartwarming to see them playing nicely together. ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2005, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-a-fedex-box-at-the-u-s-post-office/319241/5 "2005-08-30T15:55:18Z")
IME, I’ve had FedEx packages sent to a rural location where I worked. It was about 50 minutes drive past the nearest PO on dirt roads. The FedEx guy would always drop the package as the PO for use to get. ---
**Author:** ![Mycroft\_H](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/898d66/32.png) [@Mycroft\_H](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mycroft_H)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2005, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-there-a-fedex-box-at-the-u-s-post-office/319241/6 "2005-08-30T16:04:08Z")
Part of the agreement is that the Post Office will deliver FedEx packages into remote areas where it would cost a bunch for FedEx to send out a delivery person, but the USPS still needs to go to for making deliveries. (I work on USPS engineering projects now and this is from my engineering counterpart at the USPS. Upon preview, I don’t know how this fits in with **CynicalGabe** ’s experience.)